Dihydrogen Oxide: A Formula for Mischief
by ClockworkScales
Summary: When Emma and Rikki have a fall-out they decide to pull pranks on Cleo, Lewis and each other to show who's right and who's wrong. But what happens when it becomes too much? Will they make up?
1. Angry Mermaids

I think we need some more H2O fan fiction around here

**I think we need some more H2O fan fiction around here! I would appreciate it if you wrote a review for what you read because it's always good to get feedback. ******

The fight started one full moon when Cleo had gotten struck by moonlight. She had gone to the bathroom and there had been large gap in the paper over the windows.

'You were supposed to look out for each other!' Emma cried, throwing her arms out in the air, watching Cleo curl her hair around a finger. Lewis was in the corner of the room, his arms crossed and Rikki was next to Cleo, her eyebrows furrowed.

'It wasn't my fault!'

'It was too! You're supposed to be looking out for her, and besides, I remember that I assigned you to fix up the bathroom so that-'

'Emma…' Cleo said softly, 'come look at the moonlight. Isn't it absolutely wonderful?'

'Cleo,' Lewis mumbled, and then hurried over to pull Cleo out of the way of gunfire.

Emma turned to Rikki again, 'I can't believe you could be so stupid! What kind of moron forgets to cover the windows in the bathroom where _everyone_ goes?!'

'She might have torn it down! Besides, I couldn't keep an eye on her if she was in the bathroom,' Rikki complained, 'that's invasion of privacy! I thought _you_ of all people, Emma, would understand privacy. You _always_ keep to yourself.'

'You're such a hypocrite, Rikki. You never talk about yourself.'

'Maybe it's just you never listen.'

'I do!'

'You don't!' Rikki yelled and suddenly fire blasted out of her hands and set Cleo's room ablaze. Lewis jumped and Cleo clapped her hands.

'Now you're getting it, Rikki! Fire! Fire!'

Emma rolled her eyes at Cleo. Being struck by moonlight meant you turned into an absolute mermaid-power-obsessed nutter.

Rikki shut her eyes and took a deep breath then stared at Cleo.

'So, Cleo, who's right? You always know the answer right?'

Emma looked exasperated at Rikki.

'Don't talk to her now, she's all weird and… moon-obsessed.'

'Why? Because she'll say I'm right?'

'Because she won't listen to you!'

Emma and Rikki glared daggers at each other but then turned towards a startled Lewis.

'Emma's out of order right?' Rikki told Lewis, her plaits flying.

Emma shook her head, blonde hair flying, 'Rikki's being totally irresponsible, isn't she?'

Lewis looked desperately from Cleo to Rikki to Emma and sighed.

'You're both-'

Rikki and Emma growled and Lewis put his hand around Cleo's waist, directing her out of the bedroom and leaving the two ravaged girls completely mad, and completely alone.

'I have to take care of Cleo…'


	2. A Full Moon Hangover

Chapter Two: A Full Moon Hangover

**Sorry the next chapter's taken a while but there are quite a few for you! I won't put all of them up just today but I hope you like them! Originally the next few chapters weren't going to be in but the characters made me write them (if that makes sense). Thanks for reading! ******

Cleo was devastated at the state of her bedroom; half her entire room was black! All of it completely burned. Cleo picked up the remnants of her teddy bear (a head and arm) and began mouthing her disbelief. Luckily the fire had been put out before her whole room was destroyed but whether it was by Rikki or Emma, she didn't find out.

Cleo sighed and sat on a charcoal edge of her bed looking at the damage. She could scrape away the burned bits of her desk and she'd have to throw away half her things. She thought she'd be able to cover the wall up with sheets until she could get it painted. Cleo scratched her head and looked quizzically at a hard, twisted blob on the floor. Picking it up, she noticed the metal bits poking in different directions. She'd have to get a new brush as well...

She clutched at her head, her headache was threatening to get even worse. Trying to ignore the throbbing, Cleo began picking up burnt objects to throw away.

She remembered the morning clearly, biting her lip.

She had woken up at the feeling of the sun on her eyelids and opened her eyes to see Lewis sitting at the end of the couch. The light flashed through the windows but soon her eyes adjusted.

'Why aren't I in my bed?'

Lewis looked over and gave a half smile. Not wanting to mention the fact that her bed had been on fire he said: 'Your bed was... in use.'

'Huh? Emma and Rikki have their own beds to sleep on...' Cleo looked at her watch, 'Why aren't they up eating breakfast? Lunch? Brunch?'

Lewis shifted in his seat, 'They... had a fight.'

'What?' Cleo sat up straight, edging closer to Lewis.

'They... You got hit by the moon and went all... weird and then Emma was having a go at Rikki for not covering the bathroom windows and then it turned really nasty. Rikki totally lost control and burned half your bedroom and then I took you downstairs...'

Lewis remembered with a small smile Cleo trying to get him to pour water all over the room so she could make it fly around.

Cleo was staring at the ground with an uneasy expression on her face.

'What happened then?'

'I could hear Rikki and Emma yelling sarcastic things at each other and then I put my headphones on and listened to music instead. It's not nice listening to an Emma-Rikki fight...'

'What happened to Emma and Rikki though? Are they gone? Did the make up?'

'I don't think it was the sort of fight that you can just forget about. They were both really...' Lewis was at a loss for words, 'Well, Emma left first and then Rikki left a few minutes afterwards. I didn't see much of their faces but they were really angry... and a bit upset too. Though you couldn't really tell but-'

'That's horrible...' Cleo muttered, 'Poor Emma... Poor Rikki...'

'Yeah,' Lewis agreed, 'it was pretty bad. I've never seen or rather, heard a fight like that before.'

'Maybe they were really stressed about school coming up and it got the worse of them. Hey, I know, maybe I could go talk to them about it, it's always better to talk to somebody. And then we can get this all sorted out and-'

'I don't think it's the best idea to talk to them about it just yet... Maybe you should give it a few days or ... weeks.' Lewis suggested.

'But school would have started by then and we'd have to study really hard. Best to get their worries out of the way than, you know, trying to focus on work and failing...'

'Well, you know Emma and Rikki, when they've had a fight, they don't really care about one another, they just get on with their business...'

'Good point. Nothing like school work to keep our mind occupied!'

Lewis laughed at Cleo's typical enthusiasm. But how enthusiastic she'd be about the state of her room he had yet to find out.

Cleo shook her head and threw her melted blob of a hairbrush into the rubbish bin.

This was probably only the beginning of their problems _and_ she had a headache.

Not a great start to the day.


	3. Burn, Baby, Burn

Rikki couldn't believe what Emma had said about her and she confided the whole situation to Zane when they walked along the beach

Rikki couldn't believe what Emma had said about her and she confided the whole situation to Zane when they walked along the beach. It was a Saturday and the sun was burning brightly. Rikki complained and whined and was glad that Zane listened and added the appropriate comments in between.

'Do you think it's fair?'

'No. But then again, when are fights fair?' Zane threw back.

Rikki nodded and kicked a hunk of dry seaweed, 'Fair point.'

Zane grabbed her hand and pulled her around, 'Hey, you know what I think you should do?'

'No. What?' Rikki asked in the bluntest of tones. Zane hunched his head lower and said, as if there were people listening:

'Get revenge.'

'Revenge? That's stupid. Like that'll get anybody anywhere.'

'Emma's always saying how right she is, isn't she?'

'Yeah.'

'I think it's about time you showed her a lesson. Prove to her that you're right and she's wrong. What do you reckon?'

Rikki stared at Zane's eager face and then looked at the sand where a small crab was crawling.

'Yeah, I guess.'

'My mates and I used to play the stupidest of pranks on each other when we got into fights. As-'

'As idiots are-'

'Yes, as idiots are, the one who did the best prank won. Maybe you should give that a shot. So it's like... _indirect_ revenge.'

'Indirect revenge you say?'

'Yup. And with your mermaid powers you'd be able pull off some real sweet stunts. Keep your eyes open for opportunities.'

Rikki nodded, 'I'm not _stupid_. I'm the one with mermaid powers, remember? I think I can think of the best things to do.'

'Yeah, but start small.'

'Mmm.' Rikki said with a faint nod. Zane stopped dead and laughed. Rikki picked sand up and rubbed it in between her fingers.

'You know what? I should wind Ash up! I bet Emma's got him on her side. You know, maybe they've got a similar plan. This way it'll be like war.' He gave Rikki his crooked grin but then he stopped and looked thoughtful, 'Would Emma listen to Cleo?'

'Only if she had something intelligent to say that did Emma any good, probably. We're both a bit stubborn when it comes to these kind of things.' Rikki threw a rock into the water.

'Yeah, well, Cleo and Lewis... they don't take sides, do they? Maybe you could get them on your side if you convinced them to. Widen your horizons. Then Emma will be bound to crumble.'

Rikki flicked a plait behind her and then planted a kiss on Zane's cheek before punching him in the arm. But nothing he couldn't handle.

'You're a genius.'

Zane grinned, 'Yeah, but you're a mermaid.'

'I am. Very observant of you, Zane.' Rikki said lightly.

'Yeah... well,' Zane said, 'Show them what you've got.'

Rikki wrapped her arms around Zane's neck and kissed him playfully on the lips.

She already had a plan.


	4. A Conflict in Juicenet

After this chapter, it's where it all begins… :D Enjoy and please review so I know if there's something that needs changing or fixing or anything

**After this chapter, it's where it all begins… :D Enjoy and please review so I know if there's something that needs changing or fixing or anything. :) **

Emma smiled as she handed an old lady an orange-lemon juice and looked up to see her boyfriend, Ash, pulling some moves on somebody at the pool table. She grinned. Ash would win again for sure.

But he didn't win.

In fact, the game didn't even finish because Zane had walked in.

Emma's body immediately stiffened at the sight of Rikki's boyfriend. If she had talked to Zane, which was as likely as Cleo brushing her hair, why would he be here?

Then it hit her. Zane was in Juicenet to cause trouble.

Zane had stridden in like he owned the bar and picked one of the balls of the pool table. A red one. He threw it across the board and several balls were knocked into the nearest holes.

Ash knew about Emma and Rikki's fight and seemed just as surprised as Emma to see him there.

'What do you think you're doing, Zane?' Ash demanded, putting his pool stick on the table, the customer he was up against sliding away to his table.

'Just wanted to verse you to a game of pool.' Zane said casually.

Ash glared at Zane and Emma was distracted momentarily by a new customer but she heard their conversation clearly.

'Not this again, Zane. Do you want to get chucked out again?'

'Maybe I do. Maybe I don't.'

'Don't play dumb. What do you want?'

'Oh, I also want a juice. Could you put extra ice in mine? Thanks.'

'I mean why do you want to verse me to a game of pool?'

'See which one of us is better. See which one of us is _right_.'

Emma rolled her eyes and served her customer then left her shift at the front, making her way over to the table.

'Is something wrong?' she asked, though it was clear she knew there was.

Ash nodded, 'I'm sure you've noticed that Zane is here. Challenging me to a game of pool. And you know that's old.' He added to Zane.

'Why's that?' Emma folded her arms and looked at Zane coldly, who just grinned stupidly at them.

'I think you know why. You were listening. I can tell.'

'Right about what though?'

'Who's right and who's wrong. Don't tell me you're going to give up a challenge like that?'

'If you want to talk to Emma, would you mind being a bit more polite? I'm serious about throwing you out of here. And you know Emma could do it just as easily.'

Zane looked from Emma and Ash and smirked.

'Backing out are you? That just proves it. You are weak. _Pathetic_. Just like Rikki said you-'

Smack! Emma's fist made contact with the side of Zane's head.

Zane stared at her blankly before he exploded in a fit of laughter.

'Struck a nerve did I? Then maybe you'd better get Cleo and Lewis to help you, because I doubt your lame-ass boyfriend would be able to do anything to-'

He stopped dead. But this time it wasn't because Emma or Ash had hit him (though he was about to), it was because Emma had frozen Zane's teeth together. But it didn't stop him grinning. Ash took Zane by the arm and pulled him outside, Emma following them. When they were out of the way of the tables, Zane's saliva had melted the ice away in his mouth and he spoke again.

'See? You're getting it. You know Rikki's going to get Cleo and Lewis on her side. Then you're going to go down. You and your... boyfriend.' Zane looked at Ash then back to Emma who was gritting her teeth together in frustration. 'You know you're wrong. Rikki's going to prove it to you. And you know Cleo and Lewis won't listen to you properly so-'

Ash spoke, 'Zane. Shut up. Don't talk about Cleo and Lewis like-'

'-won't listen to you properly so you'll have to force them to. You're a mermaid with magical powers.' Zane lowered his voice, 'Think about it.'

Zane turned and left with Ash saying he was banned from Juicenet. Then Ash turned and put an arm around Emma's waist, 'You know that was a load of rubbish.'

'Yeah... I guess. But what if it wasn't?'

Ideas were already flooding into her brain as she said something she never thought she'd say, 'What if Zane is right?'

Ash didn't answer and then guided Emma back inside to work. Emma threw ice into a blender along with cut up pineapple and raspberry, watching them swirl and mix together, opposing colours melding into one. Her boss approached her.

'What was all that about Emma? You do not _hit_ customers. If you do that again... I'll have to fire you and I don't think either of us want that.'

'Yes. Sorry.' Emma turned and forced a smile, 'It won't happen again.'

It wouldn't happen again because he wouldn't know and he wouldn't ever find out.

She clenched her fist. She was a mermaid with magical powers. She could take a hint, even if it was from Zane.


	5. Coincidence?

When Lewis woke up, he didn't even consider the idea that the happenings of the following morning had anything to do with Emma or Rikki until later that day when he and Cleo met in the park

When Lewis woke up, he didn't even consider the idea that the happenings of the following morning had anything to do with Emma or Rikki until later that day when he and Cleo met in the park.

He had a shower to wash away the grime and sweat on his body, hair and mind. Picking up his shampoo he remembered with a twitch of his lip when Cleo had said how she liked the smell. He sniffed the shampoo before putting it in his hair and scrubbing. So far, the morning was pretty normal.

After drying and dressing he went downstairs to make himself some breakfast; a tasty cereal with tasty stripes of wheat around a fruity centre. When he went to get milk out of the fridge however, the milk was slightly colder than usual and small flakes of frozen milk slopped onto his cereal.

Curious, he checked the fridge's temperature switch. It was the same and he thought maybe they ought to buy a new fridge. He made a mental note to tell his parents when they came back from work.

Half way through his breakfast he got a message on his phone from Cleo.

'Lewis, could you meet me at the park later? Is 3pm okay? I have something I need to talk to you about.'

Of course, Lewis was concerned. Although he was eager to get to see Cleo but he had a few more hours to kill.

He left the house after breakfast to do some fishing and was surprised to see Charlotte come up to him. They didn't talk very much anymore, only a few polite hellos at school. Then he noticed she was carrying something.

'What's that?' he asked, figuring he'd get to the point. Charlotte flicked her crimson hair as if she was saying 'you should know'. He raised an eyebrow and Charlotte handed him a piece of newspaper.

'I found this stuffed in my letterbox. I don't get it though. Do you?'

He stared at it and saw nothing on the front page but strange figures that seemed to have been burned into paper. He looked at Charlotte, serious.

'Is this some kind of ... trick? Because if it is I don't get the joke.'

Charlotte shook her head, her eyes anxious. 'Um... no.'

Just because Charlotte was his ex-girlfriend didn't mean she could just dump stupid newspapers on him for no good reason, he thought desperately.

'What's the paper for though?'

Charlotte stared at him for a few moments before she pointed at the paper, 'Turn it over.'

Lewis turned the paper on it. The burned figures were actually letters which clearly read "Lewis".

'That's a fine skill you've got there.' Lewis said, staring at the precision of each individual letter, 'But can we just stop this... this _thing_ right now? I told you... I'm with Cleo now-'

'Lewis.' Charlotte said sternly but then kissed him on the cheek. Lewis touched the place where her lips had touched him. 'I'm telling you the truth. I didn't do that. If I tried I'd probably burn a massive hole through it or set my house on fire...'

Lewis just stared at her but she continued.

'But you know, if you want to get back together... and it's clear you've been thinking about it. We can meet up somewhere for a date.'

It was the first she'd mentioned anything since they last said 'goodbye' or rather, he did, at one of his fishing spots.

'Charlotte.' He began, but then just shook his head, sighing, 'It's not going to happen. Sorry. Now,'

He checked his watch.

'I've got to go see my _girlfriend_.'

He walked off shoving the piece of paper into Charlotte's hands.

When he arrived at the park near Juicenet he found Cleo sitting under a tree and he sat next to her.

'What's wrong?'

'What makes you think there's something wrong?'

'Well, you wanted to talk to me...' Lewis said.

Cleo shook her head, looking worried and lowered her voice.

'I think Emma and Rikki are stalking us.'

'What makes you say that?' Lewis asked. Cleo sighed, edging closer to Lewis.

'Well, this morning... You'll probably think it's stupid but... I got in the shower and even though there was lots of hot water there, I know because nobody else had hopped into the shower that morning –it was freezing cold! It never heated up!'

Lewis considered this for a moment, 'Showers sometime do that. Even those really fancy ones where you can electronically set the temperature. I'm sure it's just a coincidence.'

'I don't think.. I'm not sure.' Cleo said shaking her head dangerously. 'And then I got the newspaper and somebody had burned something in one of the pages, through the plastic! It said.. It said my name...'

Lewis blinked and remembered his meeting with Charlotte. Could it be Rikki who had done that?

'I'm so confused, Lewis. I don't understand what's happening. If it is Emma, and if it was Rikki... why would they do that to us?'

Lewis gazed at the grass, 'You're right. You know, I think it might be them. It might be. We need more evidence though.'

Cleo paused. 'What do you think they would want?'

'I'm not sure, but whatever it is. They want both of us. But...' Lewis took Cleo's hand and squeezed it gently. 'If it's something dangerous, we can take care of each other. I'll look out for you.'

There was a silence filled with inner smiles and then Cleo said, 'I'm so glad you're here to support me, Lewis' then lent forward and kissed Lewis on the cheek. Her lips lingered on Lewis cheek and then Lewis noticed a strange tingling cold on his cheek.

'Your lips aren't usually that cold...' Lewis muttered.

'Mmm?!'

Cleo could only make a noise with no comprehendible meaning but Lewis understood it. He turned around to see Emma standing on the footpath. She was smiling at them as if they had met for a night out and she raised her eyebrows in amusement. When Lewis turned his head and Cleo was jerked onto his lap. 'Sorry.' he said quickly. 'Emma, what do you want?'

Emma shrugged, 'I just wanted to see you both together.'

Her hand was out and was turning ever so slightly so that Cleo couldn't get off of Lewis' face. Lewis flinched at the numbing cold on his cheek and felt sorry for Cleo whose lips must have turned blue.

'That's not funny, Emma. This isn't like you. Why are you doing this?'

Emma mocked thoughtfulness then shrugged, 'Can't you figure it out? I thought you were smarter than that, Lewis.'

'Don't.' Lewis warned, putting his hand up to try and stop her. 'Just, stop it.'

'I'm right, aren't I, Lewis? It's Rikki who's wrong, right?'

'Don't be stupid.'

'I didn't think it was that stupid.'


	6. Stuck Together

I'm really glad of the reviews I've been getting, here's the next bit

**I'm really glad of the reviews I've been getting, here's the next bit! See what happens when Cleo's lips are stuck to Lewis' face! Enjoy! D**

'I'm right, aren't I, Lewis? It's Rikki who's wrong, right?'

'Don't be stupid.'

'I didn't think it was that stupid.'

Emma gave Lewis and Cleo a tight smile then walked off without a further word. Lewis' heart was beating hard against his chest and he turned towards Cleo only to send her backwards. He sighed.

'Sorry again.' Lewis said sheepishly, 'Okay, well at least now we know it's Emma and Rikki who rigged our mornings. I can imagine this would last a few hours so...' His face went white, 'When it goes wet you'll turn into a mermaid!'

Cleo attempted a nod and Lewis was forced downwards with her lips. She said something.

'MmmMmmm!'

Lewis didn't understand.

'What?'

'Mmm!' Cleo pointed towards the beach but Lewis shook his head to Cleo's discomfort.

'Okay, I think Rikki might be at the beach so that's a no.'

'MmmMmmMmmMMM!'

'Good point, she could be anywhere.' Lewis scratched his head. 'Maybe we should secluded part of the beach.'

'Mmmmm...' Cleo seemed to be thinking and then she took out her phone and wrote a message on it.

'Let's go to my house. My whole family is out.' It read.

Lewis thought carefully but then decided that would be best.

'Right. Let's go.'

It took Lewis and Cleo several attempts before they managed to get up and Cleo was dragged uncomfortably towards her house. They passed several people on the way to their embarrassment and Lewis smiled wryly at those people who made comments or pointed or laughed. Eventually Lewis saw Charlotte on the opposite side of the road and stopped dead. She was crossing the road.

Could the day get any worse?

He looked left from right extremely quickly causing Cleo to squeal indignantly and then he lay down on the ground behind a brick bench. Feeling ridiculous already it didn't feel so bad, but then he heard Charlotte's voice.

'Lewis... I know you're down there. Can I talk to you? I want to apologise for this morning.'

Lewis cringed and slowly got up, being sure to look at Charlotte from profile so she couldn't see what had happened to Cleo.

'What's Cleo doing here?'

'I told you. We're on a date together.'

'Oh. Right. Well, I assume you told her what happened between us.'

Cleo furrowed her eyebrows and made a noise with her throat.

'No? Well,' Charlotte's voice tinkered like a wind chime threatening to crash to the floor, 'Lewis kissed me because he thought we should get back together.'

Lewis' mouth fell open and he instinctively turned to Cleo but instead the two spun around and Charlotte let out a burst of laughter.

'What on earth happened to you?' There was silence before she continued; 'I guess you both really are out on a date together!'

'That's not funny, Charlotte, and you know that's not what happened.'

He went to turn to Cleo but stopped halfway, kicking himself. He had to stop doing that.

'Cleo, Charlotte wanted to get back together with me, and... kissed me on the cheek. It wasn't the other way around. You believe me, don't you?'

'Mmm.' Cleo said and Lewis took that as a yes. Charlotte however put her hand to her ear and tried not to laugh.

'What's that Cleo? You're breaking up with Lewis!? How kind of you. Lewis, isn't that great news?'

'Be quiet, Charlotte. Please stop making stuff up.'

'Oh? Why? Is Cleo going to stop me?'

'MmmMM!'

Lewis lurched as Cleo spun around so she could see Charlotte and jutted her hand out. Water from a nearby water fountain spurted out into Charlotte's face. The red-head screamed and when Cleo stopped she sent a gust of wind into Charlotte, pushing her backwards. Or at least, trying to; it was hard to concentrate when your lips were plastered against your will on your boyfriend's cheek.

Charlotte resisted. 'Cleo, I'm not going to leave that easily.'

'You did last time.' Lewis blurted out but then said, 'Cleo stop.'

The wind died down.

'Look, Charlotte. I told you before, please leave us alone. We're trying to do something.'

'Yes, I can see that.'

Lewis stared at her and she cackled, pointing at Lewis' cheek.

'I'm sorry.' She breathed, 'but that's just too funny.'

Lewis shook his head. 'Please leave us alone, Charlotte.'

Charlotte suddenly looked like she remembered something; she pulled something out of her pocket. The sun went behind a cloud and they were cloaked in shadow.

'Rikki wanted me to give this to you.'

In her hand was one of Lewis' award-winning fishing hooks. The only difference was it was bent out of shape and was charred black. Something rumbled inside of him. He thought it was anger but it was just a similar desperate feeling.

'Please leave now, Charlotte. I don't care if it's a joke or not but just leave us alone.'

Cleo seemed to relax next to him when she was gone, and Lewis put the fishing hook in his pocket.

They continued to make their way to Cleo's house.

They soon made it, but they had to push past Zane on the way that had 'accidentally' bumped into them. He had cracked up at the sight of the two just as many other people had done. As they passed, Cleo sent a blast of water towards Zane's pants making it look like he had wet himself. Zane swore and stormed off. Lewis bit back a laugh as they made it inside Cleo's house.

They collapse onto the sofa and Lewis burst out laughing. Cleo's shoulders shook from what could of have been laughter.

'That was very immature, Cleo.' Lewis said. Cleo shrugged. After they calmed down, Lewis suddenly got up and Cleo moaned in pain from being yanked upwards form the lips.

'Let's get ourselves back to normal.' Lewis said, walking upstairs. After awkwardly making their way upstairs and they were in the bathroom, Lewis connected the pink hair dryer and waited for it to heat up. They looked at each other, somewhat uncomfortably in the mirror, 'I must say,' he said, 'This has been one crazy day.'

'Mmm.'

Lewis picked up the hairdryer, looking apologetically at Cleo through the mirror. He turned it on and they were deafened for the next minute, their faces heating up. Just when Lewis thought he couldn't take anymore Cleo gasped. She was free. The hairdryer was turned off and they simply stared at each other in silence and Cleo wiped her mouth on a towel. Then she held out her hand.

'Give me the fishing hook, Lewis.'

Lewis gave it to her without question and it was flushed down the toilet. Cleo breathed in a deep breath.

'It's nice to have some feeling back in my lips. But they hurt now...'

'Yeah.' Lewis concurred, rubbing his cheek.

'Is it true what you said about Charlotte?'

'Of course it is.'

'That's good.'

She turned to look at herself in the mirror and put a few strands of hair back in place before putting her face in her hands, elbows on the bench. She sighed.

'The only thing worse than Emma, Rikki and I being mermaids is us being mermaids and being angry with each other.'

Lewis nodded and put his arms around Cleo's waist so he was holding her from behind. She was pleasantly warm and they comforted each other in silence. He didn't say it out loud but Cleo knew he agreed.

It wasn't the end.


	7. Another Encounter?

**Again, a new chapter up quite soon, however, you'll have to wait a week for the next one (most likely)! Hope you enjoy it and it would be helpful if you reviewed so I could get some feedback on it (good or bad). ******

**Also EDITED – the other chapter there wasn't supposed to be there. It was a failed chapter. I didn't like it. It's not what is supposed to come next. XD Sorry!**

Cleo was glad her lips were back to normal the next day and she soon left to the Marine Park for her job. She pulled on her uniform and left. It was very popular on Sundays.

It was nice and sunny that day, warm enough to wear shorts and a shirt but not too hot to wear a jacket. It was a beautiful day and as Cleo fed the dolphins fish she felt nothing could spoil it. The dolphins cackled in agreement and Cleo patted them, making sure not to get water to spill into her gloves, but if it did she had towels less than 100 meters away in a room which could be locked away from prying eyes. It was just like any other working day for Cleo.

For a moment she wondered vaguely what Lewis was doing and if he had caught anything. On days like these he liked to go out fishing, sometimes going to Mako Island.

When she finished feeding all the fish which took half an hour, she left to switch jobs with a girl working at the ice cream stand.

Working at the ice cream stand could be frustrating at times but patience is a virtue she told herself. It was often families who took forever to choose but there were people by themselves who had taken ages to order and Cleo had to ask them to move out of the way.

'I'll have the peppermint-choc...' a man said and Cleo nodded.

'Is that a single cone or double cone or not a cone at all?'

'A single cone.'

Cleo nodded and picked up a silver ice cream scoop and a waffle cone with a serviette around the bottom.

'That will be three dollars sixty.' She explained as she scooped ice cream out of a tin.

'Actually, can I have a double cone with some of that raspberry ice cream?'

Cleo nodded, 'On top of the peppermint-choc?'

'No, actually can I have that as lemon instead?'

Cleo wanted to say, 'No, you can't. You can't just change orders like that. It's unfair if somebody's already got a scoop of something else on there.' But she resisted as she always did and smiled pleasantly saying 'Of course.'

'So how much would that be?' the man asked, skimming through his wallet. Cleo noticed some hair poking out of his shirt and winced but she kept her concentration and then she had a lovely lemon and raspberry cone. Of course, she had to put the peppermint-choc back... As unprofessional that was.

'That'll be four sixty.' Cleo explained handing the ice cream to the man and collecting the money and handing back the appropriate change, 'Enjoy your day at Marine Park!'

He just grunted and walked off. Cleo sighed and listened to the excited screams of kids when she heard a voice. She hadn't heard that voice for a long time! It was... Cleo struggled to remember the name but she just hit a block. But when she looked up the mermaid-lady wasn't there. Maybe she had just imagined it.

Soon a family group came up. The mother had a baby in a sling and the dad was holding his son's hand. The young boy jumped to look over into the different flavoured ice cream before his father picked him up to help him see.

'Hello, would you like something?'

The boy pointed, 'Dad? Can I have the chocolate? It doesn't have any nuts in it I think!'

'We have to check, Danny.' The dad said and leaned over. 'Does the chocolate have any nuts in it? This one's allergic.'

He ruffled the boy, Danny's, head who groaned. Cleo remembered back in the staff meeting where they mentioned the ingredients of each of the ice creams.

'No they don't. So you can have chocolate if you want.' Cleo said to the boy. Danny looked frightened for a moment then said:

'Can I have that green one with the freckles?' he asked.

'Choc-chips,' the mother corrected. Cleo nodded and waited to get the okay from the parents. Then she put the scoop into the ice cream. There was something wrong with it. Cleo stared at it and swivelled the scoop around in the tin. The ice cream had melted!

She glanced into each of the other ice cream tins and noticed that the marks the scoop had made were gone! All the ice-cream were melting! Most of them were already a liquid substance.

'It's all melted!' Cleo cried out. The parents looked alarmed.

'Maybe the cooler machine's broken?' the dad suggested. Cleo shook her head. She knew who it was. She looked up and around and saw some bushes ruffle. Rikki.

'I'm sorry, this is incredibly strange, but you can buy some ice cream back at the main building.' Cleo motioned to where it was in case they didn't know. The parents talked to Danny for a few moments but he wailed.

'I want ice cream soup! Can I have it? Please, mummy? Daddy?'

The parents crumbled and they got Danny a cup of ice cream. He ate at it with a spoon. He said it was still cold but it tasted nice.

Soon the family left and Cleo scooped out some of the blueberry ice cream to see how runny it was. Suddenly, there was a gust of wind and the liquid ice-cream splattered all over her!

'Oh no.' Cleo muttered and she sprinted away towards one of the staffrooms nearby, but sooner than later she felt herself transform and she was lying in the middle of the path as a mermaid!

Cleo panicked and tried to drag herself over to some bushes to hide but a little girl ran up to her and squealed with delight.

'A mermaid!' she cried happily. Cleo moaned and the girl flopped onto her tail.

Cleo tried not to yelp as she said. 'Hey, you know, I'm not _really_ a mermaid. It's a costume!'

'It doesn't look like a costume.'

'But it is. Doesn't it feel like one?'

'No.'

Cleo tried to push the girl off her shiny orange scales.

'I have to get to a mermaid party!' Cleo exclaimed with apparent urgency. The girl looked at her scrutinisingly in a way that only small kids can manage, her blonde curls bouncing at the side of her face. Cleo knew the little girl thought she was lying.

'No you're not.'

Cleo tried to stay calm when the girl suddenly yelled at an approaching figure who turned out to be her mother.

'Look, mummy it's a mermaid!'

The mother looked enthralled at Cleo and pulled out her camera.

'I'm sorry, you must have better things to do...'

Yeah I do, actually, Cleo thought. But she kept up her image.

'Go ahead. I have time for one teeny weenie picture.'

The girl giggled and sat back down on Cleo's tail. 'You said 'weenie'. My mum says-'

Flash. The picture was taken and Cleo was extremely thankful when the lady took her kid away. Cleo dragged herself over to the bushes and sank against the prickly grass, glad to be out of the way of curious eyes. Then she looked up into the branches and then stopped dead.

There was a giant, hairy spider dangling down in front of her and in a few moments it landed on her face. Cleo scrunched her face tight together, and whimpered as it crawled over her face, down her chest and onto her tail. It tickled her. She sat up and waved it in the air with her tail. The spider scuttled away and she wiped the sweat off her forehead.

With a tingling feeling, she turned back into a human and then rushed into one of the staff bases and explained how her ice cream melted.

'We'll get it fixed up. Thanks for telling us.'

'Yeah. It's okay.'

'You can go have a lunch break if you want.'

'Yes. Yes. Yes.' Cleo nodded frantically. 'Thank you. Uhh. I'll be back soon.'

She clambered off to a cafe in one of the aquarium areas and had a sandwich, hot chips and a coke. The fish in the massive tanks swam close to the glass to look at her and Cleo smiled at them and then put her hand on the glass. 'Oh, fish. I'm so glad you understand me.'

But suddenly she heard a yell and leapt back.

'_Get your greasy fingers off the glass_!'


	8. Steps to Cool Fire

Reviews are greatly appreciated

**Reviews are greatly appreciated. Enjoy this chapter! Also, I changed the 2****nd**** genre from humour to drama, but I'm not sure if that works. This story is a bit of both. Maybe I should just leave it as general? Tell me what you think.**

Lewis got a letter from Cleo the next day asking him to meet her at Mako Island. He packed his fishing gear, deciding he'd fish for the first few hours before he actually went to Mako. He scrunched up the letter and shoved it in his pocket.

When he arrived in the Mako cave he leant against one of the walls, it was nice and cool in the cave; refreshing since he had been in the sun for hours. He waited for Cleo to arrive and a few seconds later he heard a splash from the pool. He peered over and saw Rikki there. His face dropped.

'R..'

'What have you done with Zane?'

Lewis threw his arms in the air, 'I was supposed to be meeting Cleo here. I don't know where Zane is.'

'Yeah, whatever.'

Rikki heaved herself out of the water and used her power to become dry. Soon, she was standing next to Lewis, staring at him with an apathetic expression.

'So?'

Lewis looked from left to right.

A noise came from towards the entrance of the cave. The two turned and looked expectantly.

'Cleo?' Lewis' voice echoed.

Rikki edged near, 'Zane?'

Suddenly there was a cracking noise and both Lewis and Rikki were frozen to the floor.

'Fantastic.' Lewis muttered.

Rikki however pulled a hand out her pocket using her powers, the ice began to melt, but then it froze again.

'Emma!' Rikki yelled.

Lewis grabbed Rikki's hand and pulled. She lashed away.

'What are you doing?'

'Pulling you out, or at least, trying to.'

'Oh.'

But then they felt their hands go cold and Rikki growled in anger. She tried to move her feet but nothing happened. Then she used her powers and melted the ice keeping them stuck on the ground. They were free. Then Rikki tried to melt the ice connecting Lewis and her hands. Nothing. With only one hand she couldn't muster enough power to overpower Emma.

'Let's go back, maybe Cleo could help us.'

When they arrived back at their home town, they wandered around, avoiding each other's eye and trying to say as little as possible. If Emma wasn't using her power to keep them together, the tension between them would have melted the ice pronto.

'We probably look like a couple, like this.' Lewis said, waving his hand which was stuck on Rikki's.

'Yes, Lewis, it does. Well done.' She said bitterly. 'Fan-bloody-tastic.'

They walked to Cleo's house and knocked awkwardly on the front door.

Cleo opened the door and looked from Rikki, to Lewis, to their holding hands.

'Um…' she began.

'It was Emma again…' Lewis said blankly.

'Can you do something to help?' Rikki asked.

Cleo was silent for a few moments before she lit up, 'Um, maybe I'll go get some hot water.'

She hurried back inside and after a few minutes came back with a steaming kettle.

'This might hurt a bit…'

She poured the boiling water over Lewis' and Rikki's hand. They both flinched and Rikki turned into a mermaid but she quickly fixed that.

'Maybe we should talk to Emma about this…' Cleo mumbled. The ice hadn't melted or so much as moved.

'No.' Rikki said bluntly, 'if you do that it'll show that I've given up. I am not doing that.'

'Not unless we make you.' Lewis said and pulled Rikki a few steps before he felt a burn on his arm. 'Ouch!'

'Exactly.' Rikki said.

Cleo looked at them both and then said, 'maybe she'll stop after awhile.'

'Yeah, but when? Night-time?'

'Probably.' Lewis sighed. 'Ah well. I guess we'll have to get along together for a day.'

Rikki groaned and Cleo said brightly. 'That's the spirit, Lewis!'


	9. The Troubled Threesome

**So it may go differently than expected. Not simply a walk in the park. Hope you like this new chapter! Feedback is greatly appreciated. ******

'Can we stay at your place for the day, Cleo?' Lewis asked.

'It'll save a lot of embarrassment.' Rikki added.

Cleo hesitated, 'Um. No… I don't think it will. My whole family is together, if they see you two like… Well, I don't want to think about it. What about Zane? He'll understand, right?'

'Hopefully…. Yeah, I think he will.' Rikki said plainly.

'Let's go find Zane then!' Lewis exclaimed, pulling a resisting Rikki along.

'You froze their hands together? Are you serious?' Ash couldn't help laughing at this.

Emma smiled slightly, 'Yeah, I did. I still have to concentrate to keep them together you know.'

Ash put his arms around Emma's waist. 'Just don't hurt yourself.'

Emma nodded.

'Hey guys,' came their boss' voice, 'I'm not paying you to act all lovey-dovey together, there are people waiting to be served!'

Zane laughed, 'Emma froze your hands together? Are you serious!?'

Rikki waved her and Lewis hands in his face. 'Yeah, we are.'

Zane's face softened. 'Can't you do anything about it?'

'Don't you think I would have tried already?'

Lewis simply watched the two squabble. Was that how they expressed their affections?

'Don't think this is how we express our affections, Lewis.' Zane said suddenly.

The blond jumped and nodded. 'Yes sir.'

Zane took Rikki's hand in his own and Lewis' face flushed.

'Well, how about I hold your other hand, so it won't look so suspicious.'

They were all holding hands in a line on the beach. To anybody who knew them, it would look strange for anybody else who didn't know them… it would look strange.

'So where do we go?' Lewis asked.

Rikki pondered, 'Where can we go?'

The three started walking towards the park where they met an intersection.

'Let's go shopping!' Rikki exclaimed, pulling to the left. Lewis was thrown off his feet and they all toppled over like bowling pins.

'Smart one, Lewis.' Zane blamed. 'This is ridiculous. Okay, on three…'

Emma put her face in her arms and felt a rubbing on her back. Ash, of course.

It was their break and they sat on the tables outside Juicenet to get some fresh air. Emma's hand was twitching and Ash touched it gingerly.

'It's cold.'

Emma nodded and then, looking up, saw three people skipping along. Her eyes focused.

'Is that… Zane, Rikki and Lewis?' Ash asked.

Emma recognized them and grinned.

'Yeah.'

They were skipping along although they were drunk, they noticed Emma and Ash and then began skipping towards them. Ash stifled laughter and Emma couldn't help but smiling at the sight of them – they looked ludicrous. The three stopped in front of them at which point Ash burst out laughing.

Rikki's face was deadpan. 'Don't look at us like that, it was Lewis' idea.'

Lewis peered at Rikki and Zane, 'Everybody was walking at a different pace and when we tried running, we kept tripping over so… why not skip?'

'Because we look like morons.' Zane shut Lewis up quickly.

Emma sat up, gaining composure. She heard a few of the customers giggling behind her and she dragged the three away whilst Ash told the customers that they were drunk.

'So did you want something?'

'Don't play dumb, Emma.' Rikki said. 'You know exactly why we're here.'

'Giving up, are you?'

Rikki glared, 'I can't go around like this all day! It's so stupid! But no, I'm not giving up.'

'I guess Lewis and Cleo are on my side then.'

Lewis furrowed his eyebrows, 'Hey, we didn't agree to join anybody's side. We're not joining Rikki's and we're not joining yours.'

Rikki and Emma glared at each other and then Rikki melted the ice keeping her and Lewis together. They flexed their fingers and then Rikki, quickly jutted her hands out. Emma screamed, collapsing to the ground. She threw off her shoes where boils had arisen on her feet.

'That's what you get for making me look like an idiot.'

Emma looked up, tears in her eyes, then she wiped them away and shot her hand out. Ice creeped over Rikki's eyes when they were shut and she couldn't open them. She rubbed her eyes to gently melt the ice and Emma used her ice power to ease the boils on her feet.

Ash ran over.

'What do you think you're doing?' he demanded, helping Emma up.

Rikki shrugged mockingly, 'I don't know, being mermaids?'

Zane took Rikki's hand and pulled her close. 'Let's go.' He said.

Emma stared at the two of them angrily and Ash then brought her inside to get her feet wrapped up leaving Lewis alone.

He looked at Rikki and Zane's figure in the distance and listened to Emma's boss shouting inside about Emma's feet and then wandered off to Cleo's house.

'Hey, can I come in?' Lewis asked.

Cleo looked around. 'Rikki's gone.'

Lewis nodded.

'Rikki and Emma had a bit of a fight.'

Cleo hugged Lewis and let him inside. She shut the door and then they hugged again, more firmly. Cleo's sister appeared in the corridor and made kissing noises.

'Oooohhhh, Cle-o and Lew-is!'


	10. The Final Straw

**And so the story continues. Hope you like it! ******

Lewis was surprised that Rikki could go to such lengths after their last experience. It all started and ended when Cleo and Lewis were hanging in Cleo's room, talking about music, about school, about life, avoiding the subject of Emma and Rikki's fight – that conversation never got any good out of anybody and talking about it certainly didn't change what happened.

'… and then I said to him that that hook wasn't going to bait anything, especially girls.' Lewis explained to Cleo who nodded.

'Good thing you told him.'

Lewis nodded slowly then jolted. 'Want to watch some Tv?'

'Yeah, alright.'

Cleo's room had been fixed up to the annoyance of her dad, though Cleo said that she had candle on and it burnt through everything. Now she had a really tiny, old television in her bedroom to watch things on as her dad had bought the family a wide screen tv and no longer needed the old one.

'That 70s Show!' Lewis exclaimed. 'Want to watch this?'

'Yeah, alright.'

It was up to the part with the flashback of Kelso continuously getting his eye hurt.

Suddenly Cleo coughed and then put a hand to her forehead.

'What's wrong?'

Cleo looked up.

'I think I have a fever…'

'Do you?'

Lewis put the back of his hand onto Cleo's forehead.

'Yikes, you do have a fever, I'll go get you some ice- no that won't work.'

In a few moments however, Cleo gasped as she transformed into a mermaid. She had a blood nose.

'Lewissss what's going on?' Cleo moaned, clutching her head and catching the tissue box Lewis threw towards her. Three entire tissues were dampened with red and she was going onto four when Lewis ran towards the window and wrenched it open.

Down on the ground was Rikki her hand outstretched.

'Wanna join her?' Rikki asked.

Lewis glared at her.

'No.'

Rikki laughed and said; 'How's she doing in there?' just as Cleo flumped onto the floor.

'It's too hot on my bed!' she complained to Lewis.

Lewis turned back towards the window and stared at Rikki.

'Go away, Rikki! We don't need you here! How long will it take for you to give up?'

But Rikki didn't even smile. There was a thump. Lewis looked inside and saw that Cleo had fainted.

Lewis dashed back towards her and held a tissue up to her nose. It was still gushing with sticky blood.

'Oh no, no, no, no.' Lewis groaned, fumbling with some more tissues. He then ran into the bathroom, dampened a towel with cold water and placed it on Cleo's forehead. But in a few moments the towel was boiling hot.

He ran back downstairs ignoring Cleo's dad's questions and found a thermometer in the kitchen. When he arrived upstairs again he held it in Cleo's mouth, under her tongue and in a few moments it beeped. Lewis looked at Cleo's temperature in alarm.

43 degrees Celsius!

Then there was another beep…. 45 degrees!

He threw himself out of Cleo's window and jumped down, the shock sending painful pulses through his knees. He gritted his teeth together and then turned towards Rikki who was staring at him, smiling.

'Ready to join my team then?'

'Look…' he growled. 'Stop what you're doing right now before you seriously hurt somebody!'

'Hmmm…' Rikki said, 'How about… no!?'

Lewis had had enough.

'You're going to _kill _her, Rikki! Kill Cleo! Your _best_ friend! Look at what you're doing to us! This whole charade is getting completely out of hand! Pun not intended.' He added sheepishly.

Rikki put her hand down reluctantly and stared at Lewis. Then she did something that totally caught Lewis off guard.

She gave Lewis a hug.

Defensive, rude Rikki gave Lewis a heart-warming hug!

After a few moments she drew back and stared at him.

'Please, don't bother us anymore.' Lewis said calmly, sighing with relief that Cleo's temperature could go down now instead of up.

Rikki just nodded and looked towards the window.

'Good luck with getting up there again.' She said.

Lewis nodded. 'Yes.'

'And tell Cleo I said sorry.' Rikki continued.

'Yes.'

'Bye, Lewis.'

'See ya.'


	11. Wormed Out of Trouble

**The story's not over just yet! Enjoy!**

'Given up?' Emma said coldly to Rikki when she arrived at Juicenet one morning.

'No. Just here to get some juice.' Rikki explained. 'And to tell you not to bother Cleo and Lewis anymore.'

'So you have given up!'

'No. I'm onto you now. _Now_ it can be fair and square, mermaid to mermaid. No silly hiding behind other people to try and get _their_ word. Because really, that is truly pathetic.'

Emma sniffed. 'I suppose you'd know.'

There was a pause and Rikki stared towards Ash who was serving an old lady.

'How's your boyfriend… supposing he hasn't left you for _that_.'

'At least he has a job unlike _some_ people.'

'Whatever. Anyway, get me my juice, the usual.'

'The usual being angry-violent-rude-defensive-bitch?' Emma said in the sweetest of tones. Rikki nodded.

'Yeah that's the one.'

Rikki sat down at a table indoors where she could clearly see all of Juicenet. She rested her shoes on the table.

'Chop chop!' Rikki demanded and Emma stormed off towards Ash who was working at the front of the bar. She begun to get ingredients for Rikki's juice and then she disappeared out of the store to around the back where there was a compost heap. Emma picked up a shovel and, trying not to be sick, picked a large portion of the rubbish up where a heap of worms were wriggling in the ground. She froze them and then put them in a paper bag.

Emma hurried back inside JuiceNet and tried not to look suspicious by washing her hands and putting the contents of the paper bag into the blender. Before anybody could notice what she put in, the button was pressed and the contents became a sick browny-red colour.

Emma grinned with satisfaction and the evil-ness of her plan and emptied the contents of the blender into a glass, dipping the lemon garnish in baking soda and brought the drink out for Rikki to drink.

'Please get your feet off the table.' Emma said curtly, giving Rikki her drink. But Rikki just shook her head and pushed the drink back.

'No thanks, I'm not thirsty anymore.'

Rikki put her feet down and walked out of the shop. Emma's eye twitched. Her plan failed!

'Hey, didn't she want her drink?' said a voice.

'No…' Emma said faintly, still watching Rikki strut away.

'Can I have it then?'

A hand wrenched the drink out of Emma's hand in a flash and Emma turned in horror to see Ash sculling the drink down! Emma felt like she was going to be sick… though it couldn't be anything in comparison to what Ash was feeling… surely.

'Ash! That was Rikki's drink!' Emma cried.

'So?'

'So I put something horrible in it and you just drunk it!'

'Hmm, come to think of it, my stomach does not feel too good. But it doesn't taste too bad. What did you put in it?'

Emma whispered something in his ear and when she looked at his face, he was a greeny-pale colour.

'Are you alright?' Emma asked.

But Ash had proceeded to run towards the boy's toilets and over his stomach.

Emma sighed and cleaned up the glass (twice for extra hygiene) before putting it back. She decided she'd get Rikki back for what happened to Ash, even though what happened to him was partly her own fault.


	12. Payback With Flowers

**Payback with flowers – the title may seem quite obvious but still… hope you like it anyway. **

The next morning before work, Emma popped down to the flower shop and picked out a lovely bunch of flowers; pinks, blues, purples, reds. It cost her over fifty dollars so she hoped her plan would work. She hurried home and put the bouquet on her desk, deciding what sort of things she could do to it.

First, she pulled out a small sheet of pink, no, blue, no, purple and wrote a message on it. A message to Rikki from Zane.

She felt like an evil scientist ready to conduct a horrible experiment, and in a way, she was.

Emma went into her family cellar and tapped the ceiling fretfully. Spiders of all sizes and kinds dropped to the ground and begun to scuttle about but Emma was too quick. She had frozen every single one of them. She didn't want to pick them up with her hands so she got a pair of tongs from the kitchen and picked them up before putting them in the bouquet, stuffing them deep inside so it wasn't obvious they were in there until they crawled out.

Is Rikki even scared of spiders? She asked herself. She wondered what sorts of thing she was afraid of. Somebody cheating on her? People finding out a secret of hers…?

Emma lit up for a moment but then faltered. She didn't know any of Rikki's secrets and had no hope of finding out.

She tied the card onto the bouquet neatly and then walked down to Rikki's house, hoping that Rikki wouldn't run into her.

On the way, Emma saw a pet shop and then bustled in asking for a packet of cockroaches, explaining she had a pet lizard. She froze them and emptied the packet into the bouquet.

When she arrived at Rikki's house she left the bouquet on Rikki's porch and pressed the doorbell.

She hid behind a bush and watched somebody who must have been Rikki's dad come out. He picked up the flower bouquet and read the card, furrowing his eyebrows then he walked inside and yelled.

'Rikki!!'

Emma heard Rikki stomping down the stairs.

'Zane?' her father demanded pointing at the card.

Rikki was silent for a moment, 'He's probably just playing a trick, forget it, dad.'

'He's sent you flowers.'

'Well, that's because he likes me. But I'm too good for him.'

'Right…. Well, I don't want you associating with that boy. He's no good.'

Emma heard Rikki snatch the flowers and hurry upstairs. Emma got the feeling that Rikki's dad knew something more was up but didn't want to ask.

In a few moments Emma waited to hear Rikki scream or yell when the insects defrosted and started to crawl around her room. But she heard nothing. After a few minutes, she was considering getting up and leaving when she heard the door swing open.

Rikki held the bouquet in her arms, the flowers, the wrapping and everything inside of it completely burned. Ashes flew as she threw it on the grass. She caught Emma's eye and sneered.

'Nice try, Emma. I knew it was you as soon as I saw the flowers and the card.'

'What gave me away?' Emma asked, curious as to what was wrong with her plan.

'Well for one…' Rikki explained, stepping towards Emma but the blonde jumped back.

'Zane wouldn't send me flowers.'

'How would you know? He'd never sent you flowers in your life! He's never done anything nice for you and you know it.' Emma countered.

'No, I do know. He knows that I get hay fever from the flowers – he's bought me some nice things; chocolates, a bracelet. But you wouldn't have known that. You never bothered to ask.'

Emma just stared at Rikki. She was right. They hadn't bothered to ask. But it's not like she just told them, like any girl would have done for her best friends. She remembered an old memory with faint nostalgia.

_Rikki had just met up with Cleo and Emma out the front of the movies, the smell of popcorn and the sound of arcade games reaching their senses. She waved to Zane goodbye and then grinned. _

'_So what are we watching?'_

'_What about a romantic-comedy?' Cleo suggested, 'those are always fun.'_

'_Nah, they're too girly.' Rikki butted in, 'what about… Silence of the Lambs? Lord, who knew they made another remake?'_

_Emma shook her head. 'Ew. No. This is a time for fun and Silence of the Lambs isn't fun.'_

'_How do you know?' Rikki asked. 'You've never seen it.'_

'_With good reason, just look at the picture!' Cleo backed Emma up._

'_Okay, fine, a comedy-romance. What's there?'_

'_Well…' Cleo began._

'_Hey Rikki…' Emma began slowly. _

_Rikki looked at her scrutinisingly, 'What?'_

'_Have you gotten something from Zane?'_

_Emma nodded towards Rikki's jeans' pocket which was bulging slightly._

'_None of your business.' Rikki said. 'Besides, that's my phone.'_

_Cleo looked disappointingly at the bulge. 'Well, tell us if something happens, okay, Rikki?'_

'_Suree..' Rikki said. But neither of them knew if she was being sarcastic or not._

'And for two… your writing is way too neat to be Zane's.'

Emma felt like a moron as she was jolted out of her daydream. Why didn't she make her writing messy!? It should have been the first thing she thought of.

'Well, run along now.' Rikki waved her hand.

Emma strode away like an ice princess leaving her embarrassment behind. All the while, she heard Rikki and her father talking.

'That boy certainly has no idea who you are if they were to send my girl flowers!'

'That's true.'

'You're a good girl for burning it, that'll show him for messing with my Rikki!'

'That's right. Now I'm off. I've got to go get Zane's intentions straight.'


	13. ChaChaChanges

**I don't know why but I can just picture Rikki liking some of David Bowie's songs along with Pink, of course. 'So what' I can see being one of Rikki's favourite songs. Enjoy this chapter! **

Rikki listened to David Bowie's song Changes whilst she watched Emma working with a careful eye. Rikki hadn't ordered anything and she didn't plan to. She would just drive Emma insane by sitting there and not doing anything. With a click she changed the song to 'So What' by Pink, a new song that she liked very much. A few people came up to her to ask for her order but Rikki drove them away by saying she was still choosing.

After awhile, she got bored of just sitting there and decided to tamper with Emma's job.

She watched Emma walk carefully across the floor as she carried a few juices and her hand twitched slightly under the table. The juices were soon so hot from Rikki's power that they looked normal as they weren't heated enough to boil. Rikki watched, delighted, as the customers took sips of their drinks and then complained.

'This is really hot.' One said.

The girl's boyfriend nodded, 'Maybe there's something wrong with your ice machine?'

Emma smiled and took the drinks away, using her power to make them cold again and then brought them back, still making them cold. Rikki then gave up on using her power and the drinks froze completely. Rikki grinned.

Emma glanced up and glared at Rikki as if to say, 'You're going to pay.' But that didn't matter.

'Now they're frozen!? What the hell!?' The boyfriend exclaimed. He then muttered something to his girlfriend and the two got up and left saying they hoped their machine was fixed soon and that they'd go get ice cream instead. Emma grumbled and tried to keep composure.

Each time she brought a drink to a customer or served them at the counter, the drink was either extremely heated up or frozen solid. There was nothing she could really do.

Emma hovered over to Rikki.

'Please leave.'

'I'm a customer.'

'Then order.'

'I'm still choosing. You've got a lot of juices to choose from you know.'

'Well hurry up.'

'Customers can-'

'Customers can shove their order up their –!'

'Ooh, watch your language, Emma. You might get in trouble.'

Suddenly they heard a voice from the back.

'Emma! I need to talk to you!'

It was Emma's boss.

She turned after giving Rikki a death stare and smiled at her boss, though feeling anxious.

'What's the matter?'

Emma's boss sighed and shook his head, 'Now, you know I said last week that if you did anything horrible again I'd have to-' he paused and shook his head and changed tactic, 'We've lost half our customers today from faulty drinks which have been served by you. I don't know what you've done or why you did it but-'

'I can explain, sir.' Emma jumped in but then she paused and realised she couldn't.

'Emma.' Her boss explained, 'Remember last week when you hit that customer? It was horrible behaviour but I gave you another chance. But I'm afraid you've just lost that chance.'

Emma's ears pricked, 'What are you saying?'

Her boss took a deep breath.

'I'm saying you're fired Emma.'


	14. Remembering

**Hey guys, feedback is always appreciated with loving hugs (even if I don't send a reply to your message – I do appreciate your message! I swear!). Enjoy this next chapter!**

'You're fired?'

'Yep.'

Even Ash didn't know what to say, he just stared at Emma, hugging her before waving goodbye. Emma walked home with a frown on her face. She would have to go get another job, but where would she work? With Cleo?

She walked home and stumbled over a JuiceNet cup, she kicked it and watched it roll across the beach before picking it up and throwing it in a bin.

The next morning, Emma sat in JuiceNet drinking her melon-juice and watched Ash do his job. A few moments later she felt a bump next to her. She turned her head.

Cleo!

Emma had never felt so happy to see her, she threw her arms around Cleo.

'I heard what happened.' Cleo said, pulling away, 'Ash told me.'

Emma looked towards Ash and felt gratitude towards him.

'Yeah.'

Emma stared at Cleo and bathed in the love she brought with her, but it was too much. She walked outside.

The sun gleamed onto her solemn face and Cleo jumped next to Emma.

'Want to talk about it?'

'There's not much to say.'

Cleo nodded slowly, 'I heard that it was Rikki.'

Emma bit her lip and lay down on the grass. 'It was.'

The two listened the seagulls cawing.

Emma wanted to tell Cleo everything but she just didn't feel like it. Sometimes she just went into these moods where she wouldn't tell anybody anything until it all came out in a massive wave of fury or sadness. It wasn't exactly healthy.

Cleo and Emma looked into each other's eyes and Emma suddenly remembered with a pang of guilt something that happened during a full moon.

…_She had crept across the landing of Cleo's house and downstairs where Lewis was reading a book, he stood up. _

'_Emma,' he said. Emma grinned._

'_It's nice to see you, Lewis.'_

_Lewis raised an eyebrow and then jolted, 'No, you're not happy to see me you're happy to have seen the moon.'_

'_The moon is lovely.' Emma agreed then she reached out and grabbed Lewis' hand. 'You're lovely too, Lewis.'_

_Lewis' eyes darted upstairs and he pushed Emma away gently, not wanting to upset the moon-struck mermaid._

'_Thank you. Why don't you go back upstairs where Rikki and Cleo is…?'_

'_They're fast, fast, fast asleep.'_

'_Ah.'_

_Emma grabbed Lewis' hand and stroked it. Lewis jumped back._

'_Emma. This is Lewis,' he pointed to himself, 'you love Ash. Ash. Your boyfriend. Remember?' _

_Emma only cocked her head and then tugged on his hand, wrapping her other arm around his waist. 'But you're here, and Ash isn't.'_

_Lewis tried to pull himself free but for some reason he couldn't draw his eyes away from hers._

'_Cleo!' he raised his voice, 'Rik-'_

_Emma put a finger on his lips, 'Hush now.'_

_Emma pulled Lewis' face towards her own and her lips met his in an instant. Emma's lips moved against Lewis' as if they were forever to be lovers, only moments later she fainted in his arms..._

Her unconscious human mind must have had some sort of conflict with the mermaid one and caused her to black out. It was only a short kiss on the mouth, but it had caused her to faint because her human self wouldn't have done that.

Cleo put a hand on her own, bringing her back down to earth.

'What's wrong?'

Emma looked up, 'Do you ever remember what happened when you were hit by moonlight?'

'Hmm… sometimes flashes and sometimes full scenes, I never seem to remember an entire night though, why do you ask?'

'Only because… because I just remembered something I did when I was in my wacky mermaid-state…'

'Which was?' Cleo prodded.

Emma sighed.

'I kissed Lewis, Cleo.'

Cleo only stared at Emma.

'Really?'

Instead of her being angry, Cleo was curious. This wasn't the reaction she had expected.

'Yeah… but I know he's your boyfriend and he was yours at the time and… ugh, I feel so stupid. And y'know this probably happened the full moon before last.'

Cleo nodded, 'yeah, when I remember what I did as a mermaid I feel really, really stupid. It's like, how could I do that?'

'Yeah, but mermaid can do that, that's how we can.'

'Yeah…'

Cleo smiled and then her eye twitched.

'Did you know that I kissed Zane once as a mermaid??' Cleo whispered to Emma. Emma's eyes widened. 'No!'

'You know, I wonder if Rikki ever kissed Ash…' Cleo pondered, touching her chin thoughtfully. 'Being moon-struck is so weird.'

'I hear you on that one.' Emma agreed.

Cleo's eyes suddenly widened. 'Oh my gosh!'

'What's the matter?'

'What about Charlotte?!'


	15. Eyes Off

**Rikki remembers a time when she and Emma were friends… Enjoy this chapter, even if it is a bit short (like all the others).**

Zane and Rikki were sitting on the brick wall they went across the beach and Rikki leaned against his shoulder.

'You got her fired?'

'Yup.'

'Now she'll have no choice but to surrender!'

'Yeah, but that's the thing. She hasn't.'

Rikki stopped leaning on his shoulder and looked out to the crystal sea.

'What would Emma normally do?'

'What do you mean?'

'What would she…. How does she deal with things?'

Rikki squinted, 'She's quiet… unless it's something little but once one bad thing gets to her, all the rest will and she won't tell people for awhile. She'll be quiet until she snaps.'

'Aha! See, that's what you should do! You should make her snap!'

'Like a twig…' Rikki murmured then frowned.

'What?' Zane demanded, tucking Rikki's hair behind an ear.

'Just, I remember this one time that happened… It wasn't the best.'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah.'

_Rikki remembered to back before they were mermaids when Emma lost her first boyfriend. Whenever Rikki insulted the guy for dumping her Emma just shrugged and neither Lewis nor Cleo could get into her. One day, Rikki decided to give the guy, Sam, payback for what he did to her friend; she had smashed through into his locker and filled his sports gear with itching powder. Rikki kept her face cool as they all gathered together for sports class on the oval (they were doing soccer that day) and Sam started to twitch every few second. Rikki knew that he was trying not to itch his arms, his legs, his chest, his…_

'_Sam is there something wrong?' the teacher asked. His blue eyse twitched and he shook his head stiffly._

'_No, miss.' He choked._

'_Are you sure?'_

_There were moments silence before he jumped, swearing loudly before running into the guy's changing rooms at top speed)._

_As soon as he was away the class started laughing... Rikki grinned with them but when she arrived at JuiceNet later to meet up with Cleo, Lewis and Emma… Emma was missing. Rikki had guessed that her parents wouldn't let her out._

_Rikki grew concerned the next day when Emma hadn't turned up to school and decided to go over to her house after school. _

_Emma opened the door and Rikki gasped at the sight of her._

_She had bruises on her arms, a black eye, and her eyes were puffy as though she had been crying._

'_Emma…' Rikki began, 'What..?'_

'_It was all your fault!' Emma hissed at Rikki who leapt back in alarm. _

'_What are you talking about?'_

'_Sam met with me after school and said he knew it was me.' Emma's eyes filled with tears again, 'He said he knew I put itching powder into his clothes, he said…'_

_Rikki stared at her friend in anguish._

'_He said I was an effing bitch!' Emma sobbed, 'He left and then his new girlfriend came up to me and pulled at my hair, swearing at me, and then she hit my eye saying to 'keep your eyes off my Sammy!'. It was.. It was all your fault, Rikki!'_

_Emma slammed the door in Rikki's face._

_Rikki had learned not to take other peoples comments personally but it was her fault… It was entirely her fault that that had happened to Emma, even though…_

'What a jerk.'

'Yeah, I reckon. That's why-'

'I understand why you did that. Poor Emma.'

'See, so now you understand why I can't bug her so much anymore.'

'So you're giving up after all?'

'Maybe…'

'Rikki,' Zane said and kissed her forcefully on the lips but Rikki pushed him away.

'What?' Rikki demanded.

'All she did was say some nasty words and slam the door in your face. Even you do that when you're angry, or you don't say much at all. I don't think Emma losing her job would give her that much pain.'

'You think so?'

'I do. You can always get a new job, in fact maybe –'

But Rikki had already jumped off the wall and walked away.


	16. Roasted Marsmellows

**This is where things get a bit… different – at the next chapter! Hope you like it though. I'll be keeping you all on edge for awhile though whilst I write the next bit. Though knowing me that might take a day to get up or a week. We'll see. ;)**

Emma was walking to the shops when several things met her eye. She wrote a list on her phone to show to Cleo later.

A list of burned things…

- an X which looks like graffiti but is really a burn on a pole

- somebody's tongue. They got burnt drinking their morning coffee.

- a pile of sticks

- my toasted sandwich I got at the Café next to Juice Net.

- no burn but… fire! Somebody was roasting marshmallows on the other side of the road. Bet it was Rikki.

- my hunger is burning - I want some roasted marshmallows…

- have you noticed how hot it is today?

Cleo looked at the list and peered at Emma fretfully from across the table. They were at JuiceNet, the table near the computer.

'Maybe you're a bit paranoid, Emma.'

Emma shook her head.

'That's exactly what she wants me to think. She wants me to go insane to the point of … boiling point – see? I just made a pun of it!'

'Yes, yes you did, Emma.'

'Yeah, it was kinda lame.'

Cleo didn't say anything and gave Emma her phone back.

'So how's Lewis? Did you tell him about…. My mermaid-thing?'

'I did.' Cleo nodded seriously, 'Do you want to know what he said?'

'Yes.'

'He said… 'oh that, I almost forgot about that.''

Emma reeled, 'What? How could you forget about a friend kissing you?'

'Maybe he just put it to the back of his mind?'

Emma touched her lips faintly, 'Maybe I kissed him wrong.'

'I'm sure your kissing is fine…' Cleo tried to comfort her, 'Maybe Lewis just tried to forget about it. It wasn't really you after all, right?'

Emma shook her head.

'Did I hear right?' came a voice, 'Emma kissed Lewis?'

The two looked up. It was Ash.

'Um… Ash.' Emma exclaimed, jumping up and putting a hand on his shoulder. 'What you heard is… correct but, at the time I was…' she lowered her voice to a whisper, 'I was moon-struck.'

Ash raised an eyebrow at Emma but then shook his head, 'Anyway, did you guys want anything else?'

'No thanks, we're good.' Cleo smiled at Ash who walked away. Emma sighed.

'Oh wait!' Emma exclaimed, 'Ash! Can I ask you something?'

He came over and nodded, waiting.

'Have you ever kissed Rikki?'

Ash opened his mouth and then shut it quickly but his delayed response was answer enough.

'You did!' Cleo gasped.

'She was… moon-stuck. I couldn't do anything! And Rikki is surprisingly strong and-'

Ash looked at the floor and then walked away without a further word. Cleo sipped at her drink and Emma snorted.

'It's funny how we never seem to go for the same person twice.'

Cleo coughed.

'Okay, except you Cleo. But it's Lewis we're talking about.'


	17. Check Mate

Rikki was sitting on a bench outside of JuiceNet, thinking when the sound of a twig snapping made her look up. Emma stood in front of her for a few moments before walking onwards. Rikki turned off her MP3 player and walked a fair distance apart.

If Rikki had suspected she was being stalked, she would try and make the person following her lose her, Emma however didn't look around once.

They walked along the footpath by the beach and Rikki rose her voice.

'I saw you talking with Cleo back there.'

Emma stopped and turned around. 'Yes.'

'She's on your side?'

Emma shook her head, 'No.'

'Have you even been trying?'

'I was just enjoying Cleo's company.' Emma said simply and begun to walk off again.

Rikki continued to follow her and then struck a burn on Emma's arm but Emma just kept walking, easing the burn with her power.

'Given up have you?'

Emma shook her head and quickened her pace.

'_Given up have you?' Rikki said, grinning at Emma and looking at her check mate with satisfaction._

'_This… can't… happen…' Emma grit her teeth together, 'This is first time you've ever played!'_

_Rikki threw her arms up, 'I know! You know…It must be beginner's luck. Don't worry, Emma, you'll win next time.'_

_Cleo sat next to them on the carpet of her room._

'_Guys, don't fight. Just… concentrate.' She urged, 'Chess is a game of concentration.'_

'_I think Emma should stop concentrating… or she's gonna end up hurting herself.' _

_Emma's eyebrows furrowed and she rechecked that she couldn't move anywhere._

'_So have you given up yet?'_

'_Hold on! I haven't finished checking yet!'_

'_You just don't want to admit that you've lost.'_

'You just don't want to admit that you've lost.' Rikki said abruptly. Emma's jaw clenched.

'Rikki.' She said, not turning around.

A cool breeze passed by them as dusk continued to fall.

'I'm tired.' Emma admitted. 'I'm sick and tired of this. I don't care anymore. I just don't care. I've lost my job, I've lost… I've lost a lot of things. I've lost you and… well I admit it! I did lose that chess game okay? I admit it!'

'But you admitted it before.' Rikki said, 'Don't you remember?'

Emma sighed and put a foot forward, still refusing to turn around. She remembered.

_Emma tipped all the chess pieces onto the floor and then re-set them on the board._

'_Okay, I admit it! I lost! Now, let's play again.'_

_Cleo shook her head and placed the pieces Emma set up back into the box. _

'_How about we go to the beach? Go swimming?'_

_Emma and Rikki listened expectantly._

'_But we went swimming yesterday.' Rikki said._

'_Well, they say you have to get at least 10 minutes of vitamin D a day, and that's from being in the sun! So I say we go swimming!'_

_Emma cocked her head. 'We could always go to JuiceNet and drink juices in the sun…'_

_Rikki nodded, 'Or we could go to Marine Park! Go on some cool rides!'_

_Cleo exclaimed enthusiastically, 'We could go help Lewis with his fishing!'_

_Emma and Rikki stared at Cleo._

'_Actually, let's go swimming.'_

'Emma? Helloooo?'

If Emma had turned around she would had seen Rikki waving at her. Emma heard Rikki approach her. Rikki's sandals flip-flopped on the pavement.

'What?' Emma asked.

'So are you giving up this thing or what? Admit it, I'm right.'

Emma felt something break inside of her and all her feelings being released in a single moment, frustration and fury pushing through her body and voice in a flood, 'You just don't give up do you?'

She spun around and her eyes widened in horror.

In front of her was Rikki with her scrutinising glare, completely stiff, motionless. Emma gasped a raspy breath.

Rikki had been frozen solid.


	18. Wash Your Worries Away

**Okay, so this chapter is up a bit earlier than I thought but I suddenly felt the urge to write. This chapter is dedicated to my lovely readers – you know who you are. :D Enjoy! ******

Lewis got Emma's text when he was having dinner with his family. Cleo got hers when she was in the shower. Both messages read the same. 'I accidentally froze Rikki…You have to come over and help me out ASAP... Come tomorrow plz?'

The next day Lewis and Cleo arrived at Emma's house and Emma led both of them up to her room, pulling a sheet off of Rikki who was frozen. Emma's face was mournful.

'What are we going to do? The last time I froze someone we had Rikki's help!'

Lewis frowned and brought a hand to his chin. 'Yes, that's true.'

He waved in front of Rikki's face as if to get a response from her.

'Is she….' Cleo said quietly. 'Is she dead?'

Lewis sighed. 'Technically, yes, but…' he coughed. 'We should be able to help her… Would hair dryers work?'

Emma pictured all of them surrounded by Rikki and the sound of roaring hair-dryers.

'I don't know.'

'Maybe if we throw her into the moon pool at a full moon it'll work.' Cleo made a wild stab in the dark.

Lewis furrowed his eyebrows. 'The most likely thing to happen then is that she'll sink to the bottom and we'll have to pull her back out again.' He sighed. 'Poor Rikki...'

Emma sniffed. 'It's all my fault.'

None of the others said anything.

'You didn't mean to though, it's okay Emma. We'll figure this out.' Cleo said, looking at Rikki for inspiration but then remembering she was frozen, stared at the floor glumly.

Lewis frowned then lit up.

'I have an idea! What if, you put her into a hot bath?'

'Would that work?' Cleo said suddenly.

'We might as well try…' Emma said hopelessly.

Lewis nodded, 'Cleo, you'd better use your power so we don't accidentally drown her.'

Cleo looked uneasy for a moment and then nodded. 'Okay.'

'Then when she's defrosted a bit we could use the hair dryers to jolt some life back into her… maybe… or just dry her hair.' Lewis said. 'Then Cleo you could you use your power to get her blood moving and hopefully we'll be able to save Rikki!'

Lewis leapt up and he and Cleo pulled Rikki into the bathroom and placed her awkwardly into the bath.

Cleo looked at Rikki. 'I think Rikki would like some dry clothes when she's… awake again…'

Lewis nodded. 'Yes.'

'So I'd have to take her clothes off.' Cleo continued.

'If you think that's best.'

Cleo looked at Lewis and there was a silence. Then she pointed towards the door. 'Leave!'

Lewis stood there for a moment and then his eyes widened as he finally understood what Cleo meant. He walked out of the room bashfully. Cleo stormed over to the door and slammed it shut, locking it. Emma walked over to Rikki and begun to take off her clothes which were now damp. She put them on the towel rack to dry and Cleo put the plug in and turned on the water. Rikki's alarmed face made Cleo sad and Cleo stared unembarrassed at Rikki's naked body.

'Can I do anything?' Emma asked Cleo, pointing to Rikki.

'No.' Cleo said somewhat grumpily. 'There's nothing more you can do.'

'What about-'

'It'd be easier for me if you just left. I need to be able to concentrate, Emma!'

Emma's mouth twitched at this but she turned and left. She stood outside the door and she heard the door click shut. She walked into her room where Lewis was sitting on her bed and sat down next to him.

The room was warm because of the heater in the corner of her room and the weather outside was cloudy and slightly chilly – as if it were following their emotions.

Emma tucked a strand of hair behind and ear and choked, 'Sorry Lewis.'

Lewis looked at her and chuckled. 'For what?'

'For… for what I did to Rikki!' Emma exclaimed, 'Sorry for killing our best friend!'

'Oh, that. Yeah.' Lewis said simply. 'Well, I don't think it's entirely your fault…'

'You don't know what happened…'

'Tell me then.'

'Oh… okay… um…'

Cleo was in the bathroom watching Rikki's stiff form as water twirled around in the bath and steam issued out of the bath. The running water cascaded down into the basin and Cleo sniffed a few times, tears trickling down her cheeks and into the water.

Her shoulders shook and she took a few shuddering breathes before taking in a deep breath and, gasping a little, put some scented soaps into the bathtub.

'There you go Rikki.' Cleo said. 'Don't go complaining to me when you come out smelling like roses.'

Cleo stared at Rikki and blinked, shouldn't she be turning into a mermaid now?

Maybe her powers had been taken away from her… Actually, maybe because she was frozen solid she couldn't grow a tail or anything.

Cleo bent down and lay her arms across the tub, smelling the incense with a smile on her face. It was a tropical smell. It suited her.

'See, I don't think it's your fault.' Lewis explained to Emma who only stared with a frown on her face.

'But it is! It's my power, it's my fault!'

'But it's not your fault you've got all these emotions trapped inside of you. I understand that it might be hard to talk to us about things since that… thing with Rikki, so I'm surprised that you snapped, you were bound to sooner or later – and this is just the way it happened.'

Emma stared at the floor letting her hair cover her face. Her shoulders shook and within moments she was in tears. Lewis moved closer to her and put his arms around her, smiling.

'Why are you smiling?'

'Oh, I'm just thinking that maybe Rikki might have learned to back off a bit.'

Emma laughed and leant against Lewis' chest.

'I'm sorry about something else too.'

'For what?'

'For… for… that time I got hit by the moonlight and I …kissed you.'

Lewis' face turned pink and he chuckled. 'That's… that's okay.'

'Oh and I told Cleo.'

'Oh…. That's… okay too.'

'You're the best Lewis.' Emma said, wiping her tears away.

'I try, I try.' He grinned.

'_Oh my god. This is ridiculous!' Rikki exclaimed. 'I understand about looking nice and stuff but don't you think this is a bit far?'_

_She was in Emma's bathroom and was looking through draws, looking at the back of a packet of scented balls that you put in the bath._

'_It makes you smell nice.' Cleo said. 'Just try it.'_

'_Maybe another time.' Rikki said putting them back._

_Emma laughed. Rikki grinned. Cleo smiled, and Lewis stood in the doorway shaking his head in amusement. _

They were together again.


	19. Alive Again

**Not just the last chapter yet… But it's certainly getting closer. Enjoy!**

'I'm really anxious.' Emma said quickly to Lewis and stared at the bathroom door in the hall. 'I wonder how it's going.'

Lewis sighed. 'Well, I guess we won't be able to find out until she's finished.'

Emma sank into the bed and then jumped up. 'Do you want some chocolate?'

'Not really.'

'Well, I'm going to get some chocolate.' Emma announced, leaving her bedroom and leaving Lewis completely alone. He lay back on Emma's bed and shut his eyes, listening to the sound of water splashing in the bathroom.

Cleo twirled the scented ball into the bath using a scrubbing brush and watched it fall apart, melting into the water. She smelt the tantalising aroma and smiled, using her power to make sure no water got into Rikki's lungs even though her entire head was under the water now.

After ten minutes Rikki's slightly outstretched arm fell to by her side very slowly. There was no other word for it but melted. Cleo couldn't help giggling at this and was glad to see that Lewis' plan was working. Cleo realised how cold it was in the room and turned on the heater. The temperature slowly rose…

She turned it off when the bathroom was around 20 degrees and padded her face with a face towel so her sweat wouldn't make her turn into a mermaid.

Suddenly there was a ringing and she jumped in surprise.

Rikki's mobile!

Cleo rummaged in Rikki's clothes and found her phone in Rikki's jeans pocket. The caller ID told her that it was Zane calling. She answered the call and cringed as she heard Zane say:

'How's my beautiful Rikki?'

Cleo looked at Rikki as if she would somehow reassure her. She knew Rikki would say something along the lines of: 'Shut up, Zane.' Or maybe not… she didn't hear how they communicated with eachother.

'Zane, this is Cleo. Rikki's in… the… bathroom.'

Zane snorted, 'Yeah right. Just pass the phone onto her.'

'I can't!' Cleo exclaimed, 'She's having a shower!'

'Don't play dumb. We both know she can't be having a shower. If she was she'd be on the floor right now with a mermaid tail.'

'Okay she's probably having a bath then. Bye, Zane, I'll tell Rikki to call you back.'

She hung up and focused more on helping Rikki.

'Rikki,' she said, even though she knew Rikki couldn't hear her, 'Zane wants you to call him back.' There was a pause. 'You want to talk to me instead of Zane? That's nice of you, Rikki.'

Cleo sat on the edge of the bath and used her power to get Rikki's blood moving. It was a bit hard to move at first, she suspected some of Rikki was still frozen but it got easier as time went along. What seemed like an hour later, Rikki turned into a mermaid and Cleo's heart thumped against her chest with excitement. She was going to save her friend!

Cleo used her power to push water underneath the plug and soon water was sucked down the pipes making the gurgling noises along the way.

She placed a towel over Rikki's glistening body and continued to move her blood along.

Cleo's grin broadened when she saw Rikki's chest rise and her eyelids flicker. They flew open and looked around.

'Why am I naked? And why do I smell like tropics?' she asked and Cleo squealed in delight.

'Rikki!!'

Emma finished her Mars Bar and took her and Lewis' wrapper and threw it in the bin. They bolted.

'Did you just hear someone scream?' Lewis asked.

'Cleo!' Emma exclaimed, 'Do you think she's alright?'

They listened; their ears open for any sound. They heard another muffled voice that wasn't Cleo and then the howling of a hairdryer.

'Rikki's okay!' Lewis cried out.

They heard Rikki shout back from the bathroom.

'Who ever decided to put that smelly stuff in the bath is gonna pay!'


	20. Sorry For Killing You

**Maybe the second last chapter, but definitely not the last. Hope you liked it even though it was a bit short… ******

'Okay, Rikki, you have to talk to Emma…' Cleo hissed at Rikki as they walked towards Emma's room.

'Yeah… I have to thank her for giving me a massive migraine!'

Cleo slapped Rikki on the arm.

'You know what I mean, Rikki!'

'Unfortunately, yes.'

***

'You ready?' Lewis asked Emma.

Emma shook her head. 'No.'

'It would help if you were.'

'But I'm not!'

Lewis smiled and hugged Emma who forced a smile.

'See, you're smiling – that's a good start.'

'I'm faking it.'

'Still… faking it is a good start.'

***

Cleo pushed Rikki forward and Lewis left Emma's room. Cleo and Lewis shut the door behind them leaving Emma and Rikki completely alone in Emma's room.

Rikki yelled back at them. 'That's really immature, guys!'

'Well trying to escape is really immature!' Cleo said as she pulled the door shut as Rikki tried to open the door from the other side.

'Whatever.'

***

Rikki turned towards Emma but looked at the floor. Emma gained her composure and stared cooly into Rikki's face. Rikki looked up.

'Why'd you freeze me?'

Emma sighed. 'I didn't mean to! It just happened.'

Rikki looked into Emma's eyes. 'Yeah?'

'Yeah. Why'd you get me fired?'

'Why do you think I got you fired?'

'That's a stupid question.'

'No it's not. Answer it.'

'I asked you first.'

'No you didn't.'

'Yes I did!'

***

Cleo and Lewis listened on the other side of the door and shook their heads. Cleo jolted as she felt Lewis's hand cup her face.

'Your hand is freezing!' Cleo gasped.

Lewis frowned and switched hands. 'What about this one?'

Cleo was about to say, 'Yes, it's still cold.' But mentally hit herself.

'That one is fine.' She lied.

Lewis grinned. 'Liar.'

'Pants on fire?' Cleo looked down, 'I hope not!'

They laughed and zoned from Emma and Rikki to themselves. They leant forward and brushed lips against each other then…

***

'It was so your fault everything turned to shit!' Rikki complained. Emma shook her head angrily.

'No it wasn't it was your fault. You and your stupid… non-moon-protecting-house-deal!'

They were silent for a moment and then Emma started laughing, clutching her stomach. Rikki chuckled with her and then her face went deadpan for a few seconds… before she lost herself just like Emma.

'God, I feel so sorry for Cleo and Lewis.' Emma choked. 'We can be so… stubborn when we want to.'

'I think you mean determined.' Rikki said. Emma grinned.

They stepped forward and threw their arms around each other.

'Ouch!' Emma squealed. Rikki had pinched her.

'Whoops.' Rikki said sarcastically.

They drew away and Emma punched Rikki in the arm.

'Oops.' She said.

Rikki grinned and shuffled her feet awkwardly, 'You… forgive me right? Sorry I got you fired.'

Emma frowned then smiled. 'You're alright… never do it again.'

Rikki laughed.

'Sorry I … kinda killed you.'

'You're alright.' Rikki said. 'Never do it again.'

Emma chuckled. 'So we're cool now.'

'In the metaphorical sense… yes. Though it is getting a bit cold in here, is that you?'

'No, it's the weather.'

'Oh.'

They went to pull open the door and it opened. Lewis and Cleo fell onto the floor.

'Ouch!'

Rikki snorted and nudged them with her foot.

'Maybe not such a good idea to have worn lip gloss today, Cleo.'

Cleo stood up and fixed her disheveled hair. 'Um..'

Lewis sat up. 'It's not a problem.'

He went pink.

Rikki snorted and left the room. 'We'll be leaving you alone, now.'

Emma nodded and left her own bedroom. 'Please don't get my room messy…'

They shut the door behind them.

'Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?' Lewis asked quickly. Cleo frowned and nodded in agreement. 'Yeah.'

They bent in to kiss each other when suddenly they shot back and screamed.

'RIKKI!!!'


	21. Epilogue

**w. I wanted to experiment with using a messenger-scene. I think it worked quite well, the conversation jumps and such seem quite realistic. At least they do to me. LAST CHAPTER, guys.**** Also, this chapter had tab spaces and everything but doesn't seem to like it so they're not there anymore.**** Also, I realise Marshmallow is spelt wrong in the chapter with that in the name, and that there may be a few other silly mistakes. HOWEVER, I hope you like it and thank you everybody for all your support and awesome reviews. They put a grin on my face and make my day that much better. Thank you for reading, you've all been lovely! **** **

_EPILOGUE_

***Cleo***: Emma I cant believe you froze my feet to the ground today .

**Emma**: well I told you to STOP but you didn't

**Rikki**: it's true

***Cleo***: but you didn't have to…y'know...

**Emma**: so..? so…? Rikki?

**Rikki**: wat

**Emma**: u can't have done too much damage if I got my job back this easily *does a demonstration to show how easily job was won back*

**Rikki**: you must have spiked that drink you gave to ur boss

**Emma**: no, that's something YOU would do.

**Rikki**: probably

-Lewis is now online-

***Cleo***: OMG let him in

**Rikki**: not if you're going to make goo-goo eyes at each other…

-Lewis has been invited into the chatroom, _Mermaid's Lair_-

**Lewis**: Whose idea was it to call the chatroom Mermaid's Lair?

**Emma**: Cleo's of course

***Cleo***: Emma helped

**Emma**: No I didn't

**Lewis**: So I see you all are getting along as well as ever.

**Rikki**: wat about me?

**Lewis**: I didn't forget about you… I meant you and Emma and Cleo.

**Rikki**: how do u know I hadn't attacked them or something

**Lewis**: Through messenger?

**Rikki**: yah why not

**Lewis**: Um… Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you all used proper grammar in here… Your writing gives me a headache. I don't really want to deal with a headache all night long.

***Cleo***: *adjusts typing* How's this?

**Lewis**: Much better, thank you. =)

**Emma**: *makes kissing noises*

**Rikki**: *joins in*

**Lewis**: I didn't know you two were together, thanks for notifying me.

***Cleo***: Haha.

**Rikki**: *grumbles* No, Lewis. In your dreams maybe…

**Lewis**: I quite like my dreams but…

**Emma**: Okay, Lewis, just stop there. We don't want to hear about your dreams.

**Rikki**: Although Cleo might.

***Cleo***: Hey!

**Lewis**: I'm joking…

**Rikki**: Yeah, yeah. Wouldn't be the first time you've done that.

**Lewis**: Hey!

**Emma**:Heh… But it's true.

**Lewis**: Actually, yeah it is.

**Rikki**: Caught red handed.

**Lewis**: Actually, my hands are a healthy, human-skin coloured… colour.

**Rikki**:You know what I mean.

**Lewis**:I do. I'm not in Extended English for nothing, you know. ;)

**Emma**:Oh, ha ha.

**Lewis**:Thank you, Emma.

**Emma**:I was being sarcastic.

**Lewis**: Of course you were…. Now, how's my darling Cleo been?

**Rikki**:God, please, no… NO! *makes puking noises*

-Zane the Sane has come online-

**Lewis**:You hypocrite, Rikki. Also, "Zane the Sane" has got the be the most hilarious thing I've heard all night.

**Lewis**: ……………

**Emma**: I think she's talking to Zane now.

***Cleo***: You mean "Zane the Sane".

**Rikki**: Just because I've minimized the window doesn't mean I can't hear you!

**Lewis**:Technically, you can't hear us.

**Rikki**: I can in my head.

**Lewis**:You might want to get that checked out…

**Emma**:Hey guys… My dad just came in holding a piece of paper whose edges were burnt off! I have to write a Creative Response by … Tuesday! RIKKI!! *throws a rock at Rikki*

**Emma**: *fumes silently*

**Lewis**: Do you mind being a bit quieter, Emma?

***Cleo*:**Write about mermaids, Emma! You could write it as a diary as if it's real but it's really not. *nods eagerly*

**Emma**:You did that last term…

***Cleo*:** But it's not like you're copying me.

**Emma**: I want to write about something… original.

**Lewis**:Good luck.

**Emma**:How about I write about "Zane the Sane"?

***Cleo*:** Hahahahahha.

**Rikki**:Hey!!

**Lewis**:Okay so he's changed his name now…

**Rikki**: Yeah I told him what you guys were talking about.

**Lewis**:Have a gold star.

***Cleo*:**I love gold stars!

**Emma**:You're not talking much, Cleo. What's up?

***Cleo*:**Hmm… I keep having to make the window small because I'm really working on my Health Assignment.

**Lewis**:Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more!

**Emma**:See I'm not the only one who has things due in a few days!

***Cleo*:**Mine's kinda burnt too…

**Emma**:Rikki…

***Cleo*:**RIKKI!

**Rikki**:What?

***Cleo*:**You know.

**Rikki**:Oh yeah, that. Eh. That was from awhile ago. Y'know when… Emma and I had that fight.

**Emma**: Yeah but it'd be nice if you didn't ruin our homework! We kind of want to pass school!

**Rikki**: You don't need good grades to pass school…

**Lewis**:…. Yes, you do.

**Rikki**: No, I mean. You guys don't, you all pass everything anyway.

**Lewis**:Your History oral was quite interesting, however. *imitates Rikki* "Okay and … here's some dead guy. He died from being shot or something, you can't really tell. Oh wait, yes you can. See, there's a gun wound in his head. Oh and that must be his brains on the floor. Interesting… So this is what happens in wars and this is why we have to make sure they NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. Oh and this was the first war … 1914 to … 1919? No… 1918… so you'd think we'd be able to

**Lewis**:stop it after the first time and

**Rikki**: OKAY I get the point!

**Lewis**:It was pretty funny.

***Cleo*:**It was. *agrees*

**Emma**: Never stop doing History, Rikki. Continue to enlighten us with your knowledge. *invites all to circle of love*

**Rikki**:Bother you and your stupid circle of love.

***Cleo***:Join us… Rikki… Join us…!

**Lewis**:We have special jackets especially made for us. There's a circle on it…

***Cleo***:And a heart.

**Emma**:Anyway, I've gotta go. I have to work on this English thing.

Emma is now offline –

***Cleo*:** Aww. Emma come back!

**Lewis**: You'll see her tomorrow, Cleo.

***Cleo*:**I suppose so.

**Rikki**:Well, I think I'll leave you two be. If you guys need me… I'm building a time machine and going back in time to the First World War. I'll do some extra research for you guys on head wounds.

**Lewis**: Can you bring me back a flag? I've got this idea for a new type of hook and I need some fabric.

**Rikki**: Use some of your shirts, you should buy new ones anyway.

***Cleo*:** Ouch.

**Lewis**:It's fine, it's just Rikki.

**Rikki**:Well don't get too cosy, now!

-Rikki is now offline-

***Cleo*:** Now we're all alone in the… no longer Mermaid Lair.

**Lewis**:It is quite romantic.

***Cleo*:**MmMmmm *cuddles with virtual Lewis*

**Lewis**:*hug*

***Cleo*:** Ack! I have to go, my dad just noticed I'm on messenger.

**Lewis**: About time… I mean…

***Cleo*:**I have to write that Health Assignment, argh, nooo!

**Lewis**:What's it on?

***Cleo*:**……………………… Sex.

**Lewis**:Ah. Okay.

***Cleo*:** Yeah… Bye, Lewis!

-*Cleo* is now offline-

**Lewis**: Bye.

**Lewis**:Oh. She's gone already.

-Lewis is now offline-

_Offline messages to *Cleo*:_

**Rikki**: Hey, *Cleo*, I know you think those emails are really cute and stuff, and I admit… they are. But, after the first couple of times they lose their charm. Please stop sending them to me! Oh and Lewis said he was looking for some fabric for that fishing thing, tell him from me to use the fabric from the "circle of love" jackets!

FIN / THE END


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